Painting the Fuller Picture of the Global Jihad

Magdy Osman

In my last article I said that the story of Amir Meshal deserved its own article, and I thought I might do that here. But as Burns once wrote, “The best-laid schemes o’ mice an ‘men, / Gang aft agley.” Meshal’s ordeal in Africa will matter here, but in some senses it will serve as the backdrop of a much different facet of the jihad story, one fairly well known but surprising in its relationship. With respect to Meshal, it may simply be a series of unfortunate coincidences, but if it isn’t then it may say a great deal about him and the danger he potentially represents. To be clear, much of the detail surrounding his experience there is drawn from the court filing in the Higgenbotham case, so it represents Meshal’s point of view. What the government contends with respect to Meshal’s activities can’t be probed directly.